Office of the Historian

740.00112 European War 1939/114

The German Chargé (Thomsen) to the Secretary of State

[Translation]
Washington, September 19, 1939.

Mr. Secretary of State: By order of my Government, I have the honor to send to Your Excellency, herewith, the text of the Law amending the Prize Law and the Proclamation on Conditional Contraband of September 12, 1939.

Law Amending the Prize Law of September 12, 1939:

In its endeavor to spare as far as possible peaceful maritime trade, the German Government, in the Prize Law of August 28 declared as unconditional contraband only such articles and materials intended for enemy territory or enemy armed forces as serve directly the land-, sea- or air armament. However, since the British Government has issued a list of unconditional contraband far exceeding that limitation, the German Government feels compelled likewise to enlarge the scope of unconditional contraband.

The German Government has therefore adopted the following Law which is hereby proclaimed:

Article 1. The following articles and materials are considered as contraband (unconditional contraband) if they are intended for enemy territory or for enemy armed forces:

1.
Weapons of all kinds, and parts and accessories thereof;
2.
Ammunition and parts thereof; bombs, torpedoes, shells, and other kinds of projectiles, contrivances for shooting or throwing such projectiles; powder and explosives including detonators and igniting materials;
3.
Warships of all types, their parts and accessories;
4.
Military aircraft of all kinds, their parts and accessories, airplane motors;
5.
Armored cars, tanks and armored trains, armor plate of all kinds;
6.
Chemical combat materials and contrivances and machines used to throw or blow such chemicals;
7.
Military uniforms and equipment;
8.
Means of communication, signaling and military illumination, and parts thereof;
9.
Transportation and communication equipment and parts thereof; draft animals; beasts of burden and animals for riding;
10.
Materials of all kinds for producing energy and heat, lubricating oils;
11.
Gold, silver, currency, certificates of debt;
12.
Implements, tools, machines and material for the production or use of the articles and products enumerated under figures 1 to 11.

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Article 2. Article 1 of this Law becomes Article 22, Section One, of the Prize Law.

Article 3. This Law becomes effective upon the date of its proclamation.

Headquarters of the Fuehrer, September 12, 1939.

  • The Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor sgd. Adolf Hitler
  • The Chief of the High Command of the Defense Force sgd. Keitel
  • The Reich Minister of Foreign Affairs sgd. von Ribbentrop
  • The Reich Minister for Justice sgd. Dr. Guertner.

Proclamation regarding Conditional Contraband, of September 12, 1939:

Since the British Government has issued a list of conditional contraband and has included therein foodstuffs and other necessities of life, the German Government now feels compelled also on its part to proceed in a corresponding manner. The following is therefore proclaimed:

Under the conditions of Article 2 of the Prize Law of August 28, 1939, the following articles and materials are considered as contraband (conditional contraband):

Foodstuffs (including live animals), luxuries, feeding stuffs and clothing, articles and materials used for their production.

This proclamation becomes effective on September 14, 1939.

Berlin, September 12, 1939.

  • The Chief of the High Command of the Defense Force sgd. Keitel
  • The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy sgd. Raeder
  • The Reich Minister of Foreign Affairs sgd. von Ribbentrop
  • The Reich Minister of Justice sgd. Dr. Guertner.

Accept [etc.]

Thomsen